TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan—-Some 27 officers and members of 13 Workers Unions in Region 2 participated last week in a Capability Building Seminar that was conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment – Regional Office No.2 (DOLE 2) held at Bauang, La Union.

According to DOLE 2 Regional Director, Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr., the Capability Building Seminar aimed to equip the Union officers and members with knowledge and skills on conciliation–mediation, grievance settlement and voluntary arbitration, workplace relations and enhancement, and labor laws updates among others.

“We want to ensure that workers’ constitutionally guaranteed rights and the protection of industrial peace as included in the President’s Labor Reform Agenda are observed well,” Atty. Rodriguez said.

“I hope you will not use your learnings in this training to go against your respective management. Instead, use it in making your company more productive and in improving the workers-management relationship better,” the lawyer director told the participants.

The training for union officers and members is one component of the workers organization development program (WODP) of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Other components of WODP such as livelihood support and educational assistance were also shared extensively to the union officers and members.

As part of the advocacy of DOLE 2 on new labor laws, the Domestic Workers Act or the Batas Kasambahay were also discussed.

Atty. Rodriguez, Atty. Erwin Aquino of DOLE 2, and Romeo Gayagoy of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board in Region 2 served as the Resource Persons during the three-day training.